Sunday, September 28, 2008

If you don't blog me now, you may never blog me again

I can still here you saying you will never break the chain ..

Judging by the entry pages of my recent blog stats (unusually high lately), I think somewhere on the net they might be using my choke scarf pattern in a knitalong. I wish I knew where it was, I'd duck over and thank them. Or maybe it's just that the weather has turned in the Northern Hemisphere. I'm sure I can't tell by the information I get anyway.

But you know, in other circles, life goes on ...

I don't have any finished objects to show you. I do have, however, a vaguely yarn related post.

I recently told someone that I did not have a yarn stash. And when I said it, I fully beleived it to be true, for I am of the opinion that unless you are very rich, the stashing of yarn is a mug's game. Unless of course the stashing of yarn (as distinct from the knitting of yarn) is the activity, in which case it is not a mug's game.

I am lucky enough to have plenty of space in my house for yarn-related exploits. I still find I really spread it out though, with baskets here and there full of this and that, a pattern here, a project there, a few skeins brought out to show someone over coffee one day and never returned properly, a book thumbed through in front of the tv and never replaced in the bookcase.

Today, I had a big spring clean, and moved my yarn from the built-in wardrobe into the bookcase. I had such fun, getting everyting out, dusting it off, re-acquainting myself with it, and re-arranging it into the bookcase in a pretty way.

And here is a picture of the yarn stash I do not have.

These two shelves are the yarn, laceweight on the top and thicker stuff on the bottom.

On the right is a towel rack I picked up on the side of the road during a Council cleanup. I use it for my hanks of yarn. And, see that little box under the rack? That's a kilo of 8 ply optim I bought from a yarn mill in Geelong for a song. It's a bit overspun here and there, but gorgeous all the same.

The top two shelves are for books and magazines. Books up top and magazines below. Vogue and Interweave have their own magazine holders, while the knitting magazines in general and pattern leaflets are in the other two. I think I should put the IK's and V's into ravelry - I find I queue stuff from IK and V from looking at people's projects, and never remember if I have the magazine or not. It will be easy to pick the magazine holder out of the bookcase and do it all in one go now that they are all together.

But wait, there's more. In the wardrobe. The secret problems are in there ..

In every one of these project bags is a wip. Now, that was an eye-opener. I didn't know I had so many! We might have a look at the contents of these bags in depth over the next few days, but for now, they are little knitting guilty secrets!

And here is my high-spec knitting needle storage solution.

In the background you can see the frog pond in the cupboard. It all needs a steam and a stretch, but there's at least a hundred and fifty bucks work of yarn on those coathangersm.

And now for the really awful truths:

This is a pile of yarn that the dog has had his way with. There's zephyr, lorna's laces shepherd sock, pure silk laceweight and zara in there - obviously a mutt of good taste. This yarn is salvageable, if only I had the patience!

And here is a pile of failed projects that I have not been able to face frogging. Some of the crocheted things are from when I first started with yarn crafts, some five, maybe six years ago!

You might recognise some of these from finished object posts of days gone by, it's awful how many knitted things I try on, wear once and THEN decide they're not right. It's mostly because of the sizing, I have a terrible habit of making things too small in the width and way to deep in the armhole. I can never get a top down (or bottom up) raglan to work properly - I just don't think there is a right angle between my armpit and my shoulder blade.

So, there you have it. One sorted and organised, non-existent! yarn stash, warts and all.

Random finds:

We seem to have collected a lot of lanyards (!?).

I forgot about these beautiful pictures of my gorgeous daughter, she's growing up so fast. Too fast.

Honey, I found the 'green paper' you've been complaining that someone must have thrown out. Looks riveting too.

I have a decorating magazine problem. Who knew?

And while you're in my knitting room, you may as well have a coffee too. Sit down next to the fireplace. There's yarn on the mantel, but it doesn't count as stash!

Oh, Assets Cupboard, I like the sound of that name. I am going to have to revisit this post when I move into my new house and need to purchase various storage solutions (I love the wip bags all hanging in a row too). Oh, and that optim - shiny lovely looking goodness. I don't even know what optim is, but I want some!!

Oh no!! The dog is very bad, with great taste obviously. I would be very cross if The Labradros did that!!I loved your tour as well. Yarn, a chaise longue, delightful storage: what could be better??!! I am glad you have a stash after all.

OH I feel so messy and unorganised after seeing your post! I have to give all my stuff a spring clean now and hang all my WIPS up like that in little bags. I am serious by the way! I also like the coathanger for he needles, they are such a pain to organise. See you!